Research Topic

Education:

Should CollegeTuition Be Free?

Factual Questions: 

• What groups of people most often receive free college tuition?
• What are the requirements to receive free education? 
• What are the pros and cons of free education?

Inductive Questions:

• What is the effect on the government regarding free education?
• Why should we make college tuition free?
• How will free education benefit or harm people?

Analytical Questions:

• How do people who do not have money to pay for college feel about tuition being free?
• How do people who pay for college feel about tuition being free?
• Should everyone get free education or should it depend on income?
• How would free education affect you?

The Perils of Indifference & Friendswood

Daniela Alavanja

English 1101

Professor Young

8 April 2017

The Perils of Indifference & Friendswood

     Not caring about something can be a very bad thing, it could be so bad to the point that it becomes dangerous, this is what we call peril of indifference. The danger of not caring is portrayed in Elie Wiesel’s article The Perils of Indifference and Rene Steinke novel Friendswood. When you have indifference there seems to be confusion between good and bad, light and dark, cruelty and compassion, and so on. “Yet, for the person who is indifferent, his or her neighbor are of no consequence” (Wiesel 2). When you are indifferent you do not care about the person next to you, their life seems to be meaningless. An indifferent person only cares about his or herself and their interest. As one can see, indifference can be extremely dangerous, and if it is not stopped the issue greatly escalates. 

     Elie Wiesel in his article talks about all the indifference that went on during the time of the Holocaust. Wiesel talks about a specific group of prisoners in Auschwitz called the “Muselmanners”. This group suffered the most; they were dead and did not know it. They did not fear anything, they did not feel hunger, thirst, or pain. In this society there were three groups of people: the killers, victims, and bystanders. The victims in Auschwitz and Treblinka had hope that the free worlds did not know what was going on, and once they find out they would come to their rescue. However, today the survivors learn that the free world countries knew and only acted as bystanders. They were indifferent towards what was happening. 

     Moreover, Lee Knowles in Friendswood also faces indifference. In Lee’s society there were also three groups of people. The killers, who are the antagonist; in this case Avery Taft, the EPA, and the mayor. The victim is our protagonist Lee. The rest of the neighborhood which is indifferent about the dangers of building on Banes Field are the bystanders. The contamination on Banes Field is something Lee feels very passionately about because it is what caused her daughters death and is hurting the rest of the neighborhood. However, no one else seems to care. Avery Taft and the major are only concerned with making money, human health seems irrelevant to them. “Indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor - never the victim” (Wiesel 2). Indifference was a good thing for Avery Taft it was allowing him to make money, and the major would have been able to drive properly value up. On the contrary, the indifference did not benefit Lee whatsoever. “Lee used to be able to act nice, to command a crowd, but she’d been worn down by so much flatness, so much indifference” (Steinke 90). It is completely understandable that Lee is worn out, and tired of the unfairness and carelessness. How would you feel if someone was constantly knocking down beliefs that are important to you?

     “Indifference to that suffering is what make the human inhuman. Indifference, after all, is  more dangerous than anger and hatred” (Wiesel 2). As the article and novel prove, indifference is more dangerous than anger. At least anger has the chance of being creative; however, indifference in neither creative nor a response. All in all, when one sees indifference it is important to step up and put a stop to it. If a stop is not put to indifference it just grows like a monster, and hurts people as it did in the Holocaust and Lee Knowles. 

Works Cited

Steinke, Rene. Friendswood. New York, NY: Riverhead, 2014. Print.

Wiesel, Elie. "Great Speeches Collection: Elie Wiesel Speech The Perils of Indifference. N.p., April 1999. Print.

Connecting Real Life Articles to Friendswood

Daniela Alavanja

Professor Young

English 1001

5 February 2017

Connecting Real Life Articles to Friendswood

       In the novel Friendswood by Rene Steinke there is a serious environmental issue going on. There was a chemical dumping in Banes field which seems to have effected many residents near by. For example, Lee lost her daughter Jess when she developed a blood disease. It also seems like the chemical toxics are having a negative impact on Willa. She seems to be having these “visions”. The situation in Friendswood connects greatly with a real life situation I read about. The New York Times published an article, Drinking Water in Newark Known to Have Lead Problem at Least 6 Year Ago. 

       In this article Patrick McGeehan explains that Newark Public Schools found high levels of led in drinking water but released the information to the public six years later! So as a “solution” the superintendent had water foundations turned off in thirty schools with high lead levels, and provided them with bottled water. When the thirty schools got tested all the district website said was: “results will be shared  in coming weeks, as they become available and are analyzed for accuracy and quality”. Later on, it was concluded that the result of the lead was due to old plumbing. However, it was unclear where the money to replace it would come from. Health experts warned that ingesting the lead can cause behavioral and learning issues especially with children. Governor Chris Christie however shrugged the issue to the side and said there was no danger in Newark. 

      It is crystal clear, that what is happening in Friendswood goes hand in hand with the Newark issue. In both cases, the community is left is the dark, and not cared for. Furthermore, we can see money plays a big role in both communities. The reason, Avery Taft wants to build on Banes field is to earn money and the reason the town is supporting it is because it will provide jobs and improve the town. In Newark, they know old plumbing is the reason for the lead, but they do not have the money to replace it. Lastly, I would compare the EPA in Friendswood to Governor Chris Christie. Both authorities ignore the issues going on in the environment and do not seem to care about human health.
     To sum it all up, in both cases there are very serious issues going on and little is being done to take care of it. However, I believe in Friendswood the EPA was more ethical then the superintendent, and Governor in Newark. In Friendswood there were many tests conducted and it all results came back clear. However, Newark left people in the dark for six years and never really solved the problem! 

Friendswood Reading Log Questions

Daniela Alavanja

Professor Yung

English 1101

28 January 2017

Friendswood Reading Log Questions

1. Who is Willa Lambert?  Describe her relationship with her parents.  Write about her “visions.”  Based upon the evidence that’s been presented in the novel, what’s the origin of these visions?

Willa Lamberts is a geeky teenager in Friendswood High School. Willa seems very sweet and innocent. She describes herself as a writer. In one of Willa’s chapters we get a glimpse at Willa’s relationship with her mom. It seems as if her mom questions everything about Willa and puts her down. “Lately, her mother acted like there was something different, something wrong and out of place in Willa, as if her mouth held some ugly and mean expression that meant no one else would ever love her” (Steinke 62). We also find out Willa gets these “visions”. She sees things no one else does. “Yesterday, in the tree outside her window, Willa saw a small, round, gray woman, reaching up her arms as if to be held or to praise” (Steinke 57). It is assumed that the poetry Willa writes might be tipping her brain causing her visions. 

2. Who is Dex?  Describe his relationship with his mother.  Describe his relationship with his sister.  Based upon the evidence that’s been presented in the novel, discuss Dex’s relationship with his friends, footballs players.

Dex is also a teen that attends Friendswood High. He is a very good hearted kid, who has a crush on Willa. Dex seems to “look after” his mother. It looks like Dex is the parent in the house. Dex’s dad left his mom for an unknown reason. Dex has a sister named Layla that he seems distant with. Layla is a cheerleader, and she doesn’t seem to allow Dex into her life. Dex makes a comment to his mom saying, “What makes you think she’ll let me look after her” (Steinke 39). Dex seems to be scared to show his true self to his friends. For example, he is afraid of telling them he likes Willa because they think she is a weird. 

3. Who is Hal?  What does he do for a living?  How would you describe his career?  Talk about Hal’s relationship with Darlene, with Cully.

Hall is Cully’s father who works as a real estate agent; he seems be going downhill in his career. He seems to be dealing with crazy customers, making it hard to make a sale. However, Hal is now relying on Avery a long time friend of his. Avery is planing on building properties in the town, which Hal hopes to list. Hal is extremely proud of his son Cully, he states that he feels closest to him when he is on the bleachers watching him play. We are informed that Hal had an affair with a women named Dawn, which nearly almost killed him. I feel that he truly does love his wife and son, and the affair made him realize just how much he loved them. 

4. Who is Lee?  What significant tragedy happens in her life?  Discuss how this event affects her.  Thus far how is Lee perceived by community members?

Lee Knowles is an environmental activist after the death of her daughter Jess. Jess died from a blood disease right after everyone ran out of Rosemont. Due to the death of her daughter, and chemicals in the community Lee is always investigating. The community member look at Lee as a nut! Avery states, “She actually paid a shitload of money for a study of the ground soil. Just to stop me from doing anything out there. What kind of cup of crazy is that (Steinke 49)? Hal also thinks Lee is getting in the way of something good, and more job opportunities. 

6. Make the connections between Friendswood and one of the significant environmental calamities that’s occurring now: Standing Rock, Flint, Michigan, and East Chicago, Indiana.  Be sure to include when the event happened, why it happened, and how the environmental calamity effected the community. (If you aren’t familiar with these events, please research them.)

While reading Friendswood and seeing the environmental issues in the town it reminded me of an event going on now: Standing Rock. Standing Rock is a Indian Reservation in North and South Dakota. Sioux Native Americans are protesting to try to halt the construction of a new oil pipeline. The Sioux Tribe is complaining that the pipeline will affect its drinking-water supply and sacred sites. In Friendswood, there is a pollution site where chemicals were dumped in the land and into the water. Lee is now protesting that site being built on because she thinks the chemical dump is responsible for her daughters death. 

7. Discuss the role of protection and the EPA.  Is this governmental agency fulfilling its role as it relates to the community members of Friendswood?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an agency of the Federal government which is responsible for protecting the human health and the environment by enforcing regulations passed by Congress. In regards to Friendswood, I do not think EPA fulfilled its role. I believe they should have done something about the chemical dumping. Also, I believe that the death of Jess should be deeply investigated, and building of property on the site should be restricted. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

Works Cited

"Our Mission and What We Do." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 21 Jan. 2017. Web. 29 Jan. 2017.

Steinke, Rene. Friendswood. New York, NY: Riverhead, 2014. Print.

"What Is Standing Rock and Why Are 1.4m 'checking In' There?" BBC News. BBC, 02 Nov. 2016. Web. 29 Jan. 2017.

Summary of Friendswood: Pages #1-40

In Steinke's novel Friendswood we are introduced to Lee, Hal, Willa, Dex, Jess, and Cully. Lee and Hal are the adults in the book. First, we have Lee who is now an environmental activist after a disease due to toxic chemicals killed her daughter Jess. Then, we have Hal: Hal is a real estate agent, who is currently struggling with making a sale. He has a son in high school named Cully. 

Friendswood High School appears to be very cliquy and separated by “social status”. To begin with, we have Willa who is a sweet, innocent girl that is portrayed as weird and a nerd. Then, we have Cully who is the complete opposite; he is jock, star football player, and extremely popular. Lastly, we have Dex who seems to be good hearted but “invisible”. Right from the beginning of the novel, it is noticeable that Willa and Cully like each other. After all, opposites attract right? 

Steinke separated her book into chapters about each character. In each chapter we see each character is going through a lot in their life. For example, Lee lost her daughter, Hal is having a hard time with work, Cully has problems with his mom, and so on. All in all, Steinke has really grasped my attention so far, and I cannot wait to find out more about these characters in the chapters to come!